Moment In Time
by DarkShadowsFalling
Summary: Zenigata finds out a little bit about himself, but by the time he does, it might be too late to live in his paradise. YAOI Zenigata/Goemon


ZENIGATA'S POV

I'm not a very sentimental man. Nor do I get emotionally attached to people or places. In my line of work, it's probably better to be this way.

I, Kouichi Zenigata, am an inspector from INTERPOL, Tokyo Division. I chase dangerous and notorious criminals. I see a lot of death and have buried many colleagues. But mostly, I'm after Lupin the 3rd and his band of cronies; Daisuke Jigen, Goemon Ishikawa XIII, and Fujiko Mine.

And I still can't catch them, damn it! Oh, sure, I've managed to slap the cuffs on them a few times, but the sneaky little weasels escaped every time.

And it was my failure at my life's mission that moved my boss to dismiss me from the case and hire a younger bounty hunter named Keith Hayden.

I was completely devastated. For 20 years, all I have done is chase Lupin and his gang. I dedicated my life to it, even giving up my young wife Kimiyo and our daughter, Toshiko. I didn't know what to do with myself.

I had been given new orders: to take down a weapons smuggling organization called Shot Shell. I didn't know the first thing about infiltration or even getting close to a place like that.

Depressed beyond words, I had used the last of my money in my bank account to buy some good liquor, tracked down Lupin and Jigen, and spent the night drinking with them. I ended up passing out on their couch. Lupin was uncharacteristically kind and took care of me.

When I awoke, I found myself in the backseat of Lupin's little sky-blue Fiat. Lupin and Jigen were discussing helping me take down Shot Shell. They had apparently read my orders.

I was truly moved by their care and concern. Even though I knew there was an ulterior motive (namely Shot Shell's enormous bankroll) they didn't have to include me in their scheme. But Lupin wanted me to be part of it for some reason or another.

They sent Fujiko and Goemon to find the Russian scientist, Karen Korinsky, while Lupin, Jigen, and I snuck aboard the Ivanoff, a Russian submarine that Professor Korinsky had helped build. After the other two arrived with Karen, we persuaded her to help us get out of there.

Once we were safe, we simply had to wait for Shot Shell to contact us to purchase the Ivanoff. It didn't take long before the owner, John Klause, sent a message our way and Lupin agreed to meet him.

First, however, he wanted to make sure Karen was safe and wouldn't be used by the company to construct nuclear warheads and crap. So he dropped off Karen, Goemon, and me in Maui. Meanwhile, he, Fujiko, and Jigen when to Guam where Shot Shell was located.

Goemon and I were meant to watch Karen and be sure she didn't try anything funny. And for the first day or two, she didn't. Mostly, she just sat in her room and sulked.

That meant a lot of quiet time for Goemon and me. And when I say quiet, I mean quiet. Goemon meditated most of the time and the silence got to be rather encompassing. I tried to do some reading, sleeping a bit in the afternoon, but the silence was deafening.

So I began to watch Goemon. It was fascinating in the same way that watching a statue was. Only this statue breathed, though you could barely tell. Sometimes I would catch a slight movement that he was probably unaware he made. A slight shift in the hips, a resettling of limbs into a more comfortable position. A delicate flutter from behind his pale eyelids.

Goemon Ishikawa did not know how beautiful he really was. He was tall, but not too tall. He had delicate bones and a slim body frame. His skin was the color of polished ivory, his hair a contrast at darkened ebony. His eyes were equally dark, but held a tempered honor and a brilliance of fire when he fought. When he was in combat, he moved gracefully and lightly, never making a sound as he moved over grass or concrete. He was an enigma.

I found my eyes wandering to the sharp curve of his neck and my mind began to think of things I hadn't really thought of before. What it would be like to kiss his neck and love him with my body. To hold his lithe frame in my arms against my broad chest.

My eyes widened as I realized what I was thinking about. I quickly looked from him and covered my face with the pillow from the couch. *Why the hell am I thinking about this?* I thought to myself.

My mind usually never wandered down the path of homosexuality. I never thought about other men like this and I couldn't believe I had started to now. I swallowed hard.

He probably never even noticed my inner battle or confusion. When it comes to matters of the heart or matters of the libido, Goemon is rather dense. Of course, I was too in a lot of ways. But at least I'd had sex at some point in my life. I was pretty sure that Goemon was a virgin.

I finally got myself calmed down, thinking of such pure things as white kittens and an untouched bowl of ramen, the seal still tightly keeping in the awaiting feast in the paper cup. I let the pillow slide from my face, hugging it to my body as I dozed in and out for a while.

I felt someone searching for something on my person. A soft scent met my senses and I knew it was Karen. I heard the keys make a small jingling sound as she pulled them out and turned away.

"Where do you think you're going?" I said, sitting up slightly.

I saw her tense up as she realized that she'd been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. But she turned to me, a small smile on her curved lips.

"I only wanted to go out shopping by myself. Is that so wrong?" she asked innocently, in her thick Russian accent.

I started to reply, knowing that Lupin would kill me if I let anything bad happen to Karen. But suddenly, the end of Goemon's Zantetsuken came into view, resting on Karen's shoulder.

"If you need something, I will go shopping," he said, his voice quiet.

Karen gave us both a slightly disgusted look and pulled the keys from where she'd hidden them in her shirt. She hung the ring from Goemon's sword as she walked back to her room.

"I understand. You want me to go to my room and be good and quiet…" She went inside the bedroom and closed the door.

Goemon shot me a look and then turned. "I will go shopping anyway. We are in need of some groceries. We cannot live on ramen. Well…two of us can't…" He gave me a small smile, one that made my stomach flutter. "You might be able to, Kouichi."

Kouichi. No one had called me by my first name since I had left my wife. It seemed to roll off of Goemon's tongue like the name was made simply for him to say. I couldn't describe the delight it sparked in me.

I nodded to him. "I'm not much of a cook, but I'll write down a few things that I know I can make into something edible…"

Goemon slightly inclined his head, an indication that he was all right with what I had said. I grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and quickly wrote down some items that I could cook.

He watched me the entire time, standing behind me at the couch. His dark eyes rested on my back, never wavering, never faltering in their watch. I wondered if he was being protective or if he even knew what he was doing.

I finished writing and handed him the list. He took it from me and bowed. Even in simple things such as receiving a shopping list, he was so damned honorable. It was sexy.

He left me alone with Karen. She seemed to have resigned herself to her fate and was sleeping soundly. I'm sure she was tired. She'd been through a lot without much chance for rest.

I laid back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. All I could think of was the stoic Samurai. I never had figured out why he'd joined Lupin's gang. He didn't seem to be in it for the fortune. So perhaps he just enjoyed being able to put his skills to use somewhere.

I could see that. In this modern world, there isn't much call for Samurais. But he had been raised as one, as had the previous 12 generations of his family, and it was the life he knew. He had incredible skill with his sword and a grace and speed that set him apart. Lupin and Jigen appreciated his skills and loved having him work with them. (I'd often wondered if the care and concern between the three of them was simply plutonic or if there was more to it than that. But I never asked and they never told.)

And in all honesty, I loved when they used him to get the drop on me. Perhaps it was because he never used dirty tricks to confuse me. He always did things straightforward.

I wondered what it would be like to make love to him. To see him let go of his cool façade and to let pleasure make him scream (if he even had that ability). I wondered if he would writhe beneath me and whimper like a girl. Or if he would be silent, as he was normally. Would he remain his stoic self even in the throes of passion?

I found myself panting suddenly, an obvious problem arising from my lower regions. The thoughts that I'd been contemplating had manifested themselves into a hard erection between my legs.

I bit my lip, trying to decide what to do. On the one hand, I could ignore it and be in pain until it possibly went away in a half an hour or so. Or, I could take care of it now and risk Karen coming out and seeing how perverted I really was.

The latter won. It was too hard and too tense for me not to do something about it. I had to chance it.

I reached into my Bermuda shorts and wrapped my large hand around my equally huge cock. I've always had huge hands. And you know what they say about men with huge hands…Yeah, I got it in spades…

I stroked along the side, gasping a bit as my rough fingers ghosted over the sensitive flesh. I imagined it was Goemon's training-calloused hand gliding along the length of my shaft.

Those thoughts spurred something in me. A lust like nothing I'd ever experienced before. A few quick strokes had me gasping in need. My hips rose a bit from the couch and I began to stroke quicker.

Mental images of Goemon kneeling between my legs, splayed out beneath me, legs spread wide flitted through my mind. All thoughts combined were quickly bringing me to a fast release.

I imagined him moaning my name as he orgasmed and it finished me off. The thought of his quiet voice murmuring hotly in my ear sent me over the edge and I came hard, hot cum spilling forth.

I never realized how tense I was. But that release felt like 20 years worth of tension, anger, frustration rushing past the floodgates and disappearing over a steep waterfall. I slumped against the couch pillows.

I fell into an easy sleep then. For the first time in many years, I was untroubled by dreams and worry. It was a sleep of the dead, in my opinion.

I don't know how long I slept. The next conscious thing I was aware of was Goemon lightly shaking me. I started and stared at him, feeling a stomachache from guilt bubble up.

"Are you all right, Inspector? I have been trying to wake you for 10 minutes…" he said, his voice truly concerned.

I nodded, probably a bit more frantically than I would have liked. "Yeah. I'm fine. What time is it?"

Goemon looked at the clock. "It is 7:30pm."

I blinked as I realized that I'd been asleep most of the day. I stood and stretched a bit, aware that the object of my fantasies stood a few feet from me and that my shorts were still a little wet from my earlier release.

I felt rather than saw his eyes dart over my frame. It made me take pause. I know I'm not exactly ugly, but I've never had anyone look at me for any particular reason besides sizing me up to see if they could knife me in the back. I have a mug that only a mother would love and my mother had passed away some time ago.

He caught me looking at him questioningly and he glanced away. I had to blink once to make sure that I was really seeing a faint blush inch its way across the bridge of his nose. But it was there and it made me flush warmly.

He turned completely, a fast movement that took me by surprise. "I have started water boiling for your ramen. Karen and I were able to eat something while you slept. I did not want to disturb you as you looked so peaceful. The rest could do you good," he said stiffly, as though doing his best to conceal the concern he was showing for me.

I rubbed the back of my neck and gave him a bit of a goofy smile. "Thanks, Goemon. You're a good guy."

Goemon nodded once and then went to sit on the veranda to meditate. He seemed more relaxed than I'd ever seen him and even I could tell he wasn't really meditating, but watching the sun make its final descent below the horizon. The orange glow gave him an ethereal quality and it made me want to move to him.

I found myself acting without thinking and before I knew what was happening, I was at his side. I cupped his cheek and crushed my lips to his.

His eyes widened in shock and I half expected to find the Zantetsu sword at my throat. But he just gave a small moan and kissed back passionately.

It spurred me on, that short, deep moan of his. I pulled him close and kissed him harder, that insane need from before building up from within my soul.

He tasted sweet, like Japanese cherries. It was absolutely intoxicating as I pressed him backwards, consuming his lips and his mouth. I bit his lower lip and sucked at it, causing him to gasp.

Suddenly, his hands were on my chest, as though trying to stop me. I pulled back to look at him and his eyes were closed tightly. He panted quietly, a sign of arousal.

"Kouichi…We…we can't…" His voice sounded strangulated, and I knew that he honestly didn't want me to stop.

"Yes, we can…And I won't let you get away from me…"I growled. I didn't know where my sudden ferocity came from, but I knew that the monster in my chest would never forgive the Samurai if he tried to escape from me.

Goemon's eyes opened and dark onyx looked deeply into chocolate brown. He reached up and ran his slender fingers through my army-cut, brown hair. "What makes you think I want to get away from you, keibu-san?"

His voice was soft and full of suggestion. I shuddered at his tone and leant in, kissing his neck. He groaned and pulled me into a tight embrace.

I murmured hotly in his ear. "I had a fantasy about you earlier…After you went shopping…"

He seemed to turn red and looked up at me. "You did? Was it any good?" His voice held a tone of hopefulness.

I smirked and bit his ear. "The best…But I bet actually being with you will top it…"

Goemon gasped at the ear bite and pulled me completely on top of him, lying on the wood of the veranda. "Kami-sama…Kouichi, please…"

I nuzzled his neck, my fingers running along his sides. "Please what, Goe-chan?"

He placed his hand at the small of my back and pulled me close so that our lower regions met, nestled next to each other. I groaned deep in my throat at that and couldn't resist a small thrust that came from my hips.

"Please make love to me…" His voice was nothing more than a bare whisper, but held such a note of need and want that I knew I couldn't deny him anything.

I carefully, but quickly, began to untie the hakama that covered his lower half. Once the tie came free, I pulled the thin material down his legs and off, revealing smooth legs and finely toned thighs and stomach.

I moved my hands to his haori and parted the fabric. A strong, but thin chest, covered in long white binding met my eyes and made me swallow hard. I had to really steady myself to control the trembling of my hands as I unwrapped said binding and let it fall to the side.

Goemon Ishikawa XIII lay before me, completely naked. He was even more beautiful, built like a statue. I ran my hands up his chest and he groaned deeply.

"Your hands are rough…" he murmured.

"Sorry…" I began, worried that he didn't like my touch.

He smirked and moved his hands up my arms. "I like it."

I groaned at that and quickly divested myself of my Hawaiian print shirt and Bermuda shorts. I didn't think I would last long. I'm not as young as I used to be, and it had been so long since I'd had sex with anyone. Plus, I was about to have a beautiful Samurai wrapped around me…The thought almost brought a nosebleed bubbling up.

He shifted so that his legs were spread wide and I moved close. I leaned down and kissed him, pressing forward. He moved his hips up, meeting me halfway as I slid deep into him.

He cried out, his back arching. I gasped and almost forgot to breathe as I found myself sinking completely into his heat and tightness. I paused as he tried to get used to my size.

He panted slightly and nodded to me to show me that he was all right. I slammed hard into him, unable to control myself. I'd wanted to be gentler, but his body was driving me insane. I couldn't stop myself from going hard.

He moaned and gripped my back as I moved with him. I pounded deep into his body, my mind going blank as a carnal need took over. All I could think of was feeling him around me.

I continuously thrust hard into him, thrilling at the moaning sounds he was making and the soft pleas to go harder that issued from his pretty, rosebud lips. I couldn't resist him and my body reacted to his words with much eagerness.

His own body rose and fell beneath mine, the pleasure peak reaching an insane level. His breath became sobbing and I could feel him losing control.

I hit his prostate and the keening cry that came from him was almost my undoing. His eyes became liquid onyx as his skin flushed prettily.

I hit that same spot several times and his body tensed around mine as he came hard. He clutched me as his body became like jelly. He started kissing and biting at my neck, trying to pull me into my own release.

I thrust fiercely, feeling my orgasm come closer and closer. A few more deliberate, hard thrusts had me screaming in ecstasy as I came hard, flooding him with my cum.

He clutched me hard, riding out the last of the sensations of orgasm and pleasure. Finally, his arms dropped from around my neck and he lay limp, panting fast.

I collapsed atop him and lay with my head over his heart. I listened to it beat like the fluttering wings of a frightened bird. I was sure my heart sounded very similar as I tried hard to regain my breath and my composure.

After a few moments, I felt his hands at my back, stroking gently. I looked up at him and he smiled down at me, a real smile that anyone rarely saw.

"You are as amazing as I thought you would be, Kouichi Zenigata…" he murmured, one hand moving to run through my hair.

I turned red and looked away. "How long have you been thinking about this?"

A small laugh met my ears. "For a very long time. You are the only person I have ever thought of letting touch me. You have honor and dedication to your craft. You are fiercely loyal where needed and you do anything it takes to achieve your goal, as long as it is not underhanded. You are a very good man, Zenigata…And the only one I deem good enough to touch me…"

It sent a flush through my cheeks like nothing else ever had. Those words, telling me that I was better than anyone else in his eyes, made me happier than I'd ever been.

I moved us so that he was resting against me. He reached down and pulled his haori over us, the shirt big enough to cover with ease. The night was warm and we both soon fell asleep, wrapped up in each other.

****************************************************************

I woke first the next morning, early, before anyone else. Goemon was still asleep in my arms. He had curled up to me in his sleep and looked like an innocent child as he slept peacefully.

I smiled inwardly and managed to untangle myself from him without disturbing him. I stood and stretched, vaguely aware of my nudity in the early morning light.

For once, it didn't bother me. I'd never been too happy with my body in the past, but now, having seen what it could do to that quiet, reserved Samurai, I felt slightly proud.

I went into the bathroom, deciding a shower was in order. Not only did the grunge from our lovemaking still cling to me, but the regular symptoms of a dirty body having slept in warmth were slightly noticeable.

I got a quick, cleansing shower and found a new pair of Bermuda shorts and a similar shirt to the one I'd been wearing. I slipped on my flip-flops and decided to go to the kitchen to make breakfast.

I just found myself trying to decide if I should make a traditional Japanese breakfast or something that Karen might enjoy better. It was actually a conundrum. If it was just Goemon and me, I would have gone Japanese, since both of us were born and raised there. But, being Russian, I felt that Karen's tastes would run differently.

I looked through the small refrigerator and found that Goemon had picked up everything I'd asked for, plus a few things that would make good additions. I found eggs and milk, things I could make pancakes with. He had also gotten some strawberries and whipped cream, which surprised me.

"I like those kinds of things sometimes," he said from behind me, making me jump.

I turned and nearly had a nosebleed again. He was clad only in his fundoshi, showing off most of his physique. He smiled and leaned in, kissing me lightly.

I smirked a bit and looked at the fruit and cream in my hands. "So you're like most of us in that department. You like to indulge in certain creature comforts."

He nodded to me and smiled. "Do you make good pancakes?"

I chuckled. "I make some pretty damn good pancakes, actually. Want some?"

Goemon leaned on my shoulder. "I would love some."

I pulled out the ingredients I needed and began to make breakfast. I decided to add chocolate chips to the pancake batter, which confused Goemon slightly.

"Won't they melt?" he asked, his naiveté of the world showing itself.

I laughed. "That's the idea. You'll love this, I promise." I continued cooking, flipping the finished pancakes onto a plate, along with some scrambled eggs. I sliced a couple of the larger strawberries over the top of the pancakes and put the whipped cream on top, sprinkling it all with powdered sugar.

He looked at it dubiously when I set it before him. I don't think he'd ever seen so much sugar in one dish. But he took a fork and cut into his small feast with it, bringing the bite to his mouth.

I swore I saw a tear fall from the corner of his eye as he chewed and swallowed. I hoped that was a good thing. I would much rather see a tear of joy than a tear of pain.

He looked at me. "It is delicious. I have never…tasted anything quite so good."

I turned a vibrant red and smiled. "I'm glad it meets with your approval. I really am."

He nodded and returned to his food, eating faster than I'd ever seen him eat before. He'd cleaned his plate and gotten seconds within five minutes. But it seemed two helpings were all he could handle and he pushed back the plate and sighed contentedly.

"Quite satisfactory. A good breakfast to start off the day."

I smirked and made up a tray for Karen. She still hadn't come out of her room and I was beginning to get concerned for her.

Goemon went to sit outside while I carried the tray to her room. I knocked on the door before entering.

"Good morning, Karen! It's time for your first course of the day!" It appeared that she was still sleeping so I moved to set the tray down next to her bed.

I suddenly heard the sound of a car starting just outside. I yanked back the covers on her bed, only to find her missing. Cold dread settled into the pit of my stomach.

I heard Goemon take off and felt that she was in good hands. He would find her and return her safely.

A few minutes later, however, the sounds of a large vehicle approaching made me run outside, nearly getting hit by a Jeep. I dove to the side and ended up on my back.

A large man with white hair and a cold face jumped from the Jeep, tugging Karen along behind him. I knew the bastard. The man who had taken the Lupin case from me.

"Keith Hayden!"

He smirked and pulled a gun out. "Zenigata. Where's Goemon?"

I thought to try to reason with him. We both worked at ICPO, so we were colleagues in a way. "Now, Keith. Let's be reasonable and talk about this…"

He didn't want to listen to me. He began firing at me. I yelped and ducked fast. When it became obvious that he wasn't going to let up, I ran for it, making it to the edge of a cliff.

I stared down at the water and turned back to face Hayden. All I could think was that this was the end for me, staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. I'd always thought it might end like this, but being this close to my probable demise scared the shit out of me.

I took a step back and suddenly felt my foot sink through unstable ground, causing me to lose my balance. I tumbled down the side of the cliff, into the water below.

I went down deep, feeling like the air had been pulled out of my lungs from the impact of my body to the water. I felt my body sink like a stone and silently cursed the large build I had acquired from years of running after Lupin.

I was finally able to regain myself and I swam to the top. I looked up and my heart stopped.

Goemon stood at the edge of the cliff, where I had been standing only seconds before. His Zantetsuken was on the ground and Karen was being held between him and Hayden.

"I don't really have to take you in and drag you through a bunch of red tape," Keith said, pulling out a long, large knife.

"So I will die?" Goemon asked, his voice challenging.

"I think that's a pretty safe bet." Hayden flicked a switch on the side of the knife and the blade blasted forward with force.

Goemon's toe caught the end of the Zantetsuken and it came up, but didn't do much for the Samurai. The knife pierced into his chest, blood spraying from the wound as Goemon went back, falling from the cliff.

I felt sick as I watched his body fall as though in slow motion. I tried to swim forward to catch him, but the water made me sluggish and he splashed into the aqua depths without me anywhere near.

I saw blood taint the water red and I felt lost in that infinite moment. I had just found someone I could love and relate to and he was gone.

No, I couldn't believe that. He had to be like Lupin. He could bounce back without so much as a scratch on him.

I searched for him for hours, but never found him. The only thing I could find was the Zantetsu sword, but no trace of its noble, gentle owner.

I went back to the cabin that night, wet, shivering, broken-hearted. I sat on the veranda where we'd made love only 24 hours before and I couldn't help but sob.

I cursed myself for his death, thinking if I had only caught Lupin, this wouldn't have happened. Goemon would have been safe behind bars and not somewhere at the bottom of the ocean.

It tore me up to no end and I found myself seeking repentance. I went to a local Buddhist temple and prayed to the Kami to forgive me for my failure.

Suddenly a crashing sound above me made me nearly jump out of my skin. I prayed even more and then heard a familiar voice say, "Of course I forgive you! But it doesn't do you any good to pray to me. Can't help you there, Pops."

I looked up and saw Lupin hanging from a parachute pack, grinning goofily. I went backwards even more and he fell from his perch as the pack broke.

Once I managed to get him untangled from the mess, I filled him in on what had happened and he in turn told me that Jigen was dead and Fujiko was being held by John Klause. I felt the dread from earlier build to a fever pitch.

He and I went to a flower shop and I picked up a bouquet of pink roses. It wasn't much, but it would be a way to honor Goemon.

We arrived at the cliff and I threw the flowers in, watching them float on the ebb and flow of the water. Lupin looked thoughtful and depressed.

"So this is where Goemon died?"

"Yeah. I searched all over for him, but I couldn't find him. All I could find was his sword." I held the Zantetsuken out to him.

Lupin took it and it seemed to depress him further. I knew how he felt to some degree. Only my depression stemmed from a love found too late.

"What are we going to do, Lupin?" I asked.

He didn't have an answer for me. So we walked back to the cabin, both lost in our own thoughts.

We decided to take a swim later that afternoon. I think Lupin just wanted to think a bit more and being close to the element which had swallowed Goemon up would help him make a decision.

He floated on an inflatable raft in his striped swimsuit while I dived into the water. I came up behind the raft and crossed my arms at the head, looking down at him.

"…Have you figured out what we're going to do next?" I asked him, my voice quiet.

"Well, I know it's a long shot, but we could always ask the Americans for their help in taking down Shot Shell," he replied, his eyes closed.

I scoffed. "Like that would ever happen!"

We stayed quiet for a while. I went to ask Lupin something, but we heard a clattering sound from the side of the pool and looked over.

A young boy, native to the island from the looks of his dark skin, had grabbed the Zantetsuken and taken off. We both exclaimed and took off after him.

Lupin caught him first, grabbing the sword. "What do you think you're doing?! That's mine!"

"No, it's not! This man told me it was his and to get it back for him!" the kid argued, trying to get away from Lupin.

Lupin and I looked at each other, eyes wide. "A man?"

"It couldn't be…" I said, disbelief running through me.

Lupin looked down at him. "How about you show me the man who says it's his?"

The kid looked away, resolve on his face. He wasn't going to tell us that easily from the looks of it.

Lupin frowned for a second and then grinned. "I'll get you ten pieces of chocolate. The kind with almonds, oooh!"

That did it. The kid caved immediately and led us to a small building. He opened the door and Lupin and I stepped in, staring at the bed.

There sat Goemon, looking as stoic as ever, his haori hanging half off his shoulder. We could see bandaging from where he'd been stabbed with the knife. But he looked fine otherwise.

Lupin spoke first. "Uh…are you a ghost?"

He was silent for a brief moment before he spoke, his voice slightly irritated at Lupin's stupidity. "No."

We both ran forward, Lupin throwing an arm around Goemon's neck and me sobbing as I stood next to the bed. We both uttered cries of joy and relief.

"That hurts," Goemon said to Lupin.

Lupin let go, "Sorry. I'm sorry!"

Between Goemon and the boy, we found out the truth. The moment that Keith's knife had sailed through the air, Goemon had used his toe to bring the Zantetsu sword up, using it to slightly deflect the blade, causing it to slow in its aerial assault. That stopped it from piercing his heart.

He had then floated downriver until the boy and his father had found him while out fishing. He'd been nearly dead and they'd quickly taken him to their home and cared for him.

The relief in me was too great. I was having a hard time keeping myself in check. I'd been sobbing earlier, but that was as much control as I'd let slip. I couldn't just throw myself into the Samurai's arms, no matter how much I wanted to.

Goemon pulled the haori on completely and stood. Lupin looked a bit dubious about this.

"Are you all right to walk?"

Goemon nodded. "I'll be fine."

We all walked out together, side-by-side.-by side. I wondered how long it would be before I could properly think straight again. This situation had been too much for me and I really didn't want to repeat any of it.

In the end, we did take down Shot Shell, finding out that Jigen was still alive and that Fujiko and Karen had escaped John's clutches. But Karen didn't make it.

While starting to act on revenge against Jigen for killing her father, Karen had shot to save him as Keith Hayden had come up from being shot down before. Both Lupin and Jigen fired back rapidly at him, finally knocking him down.

But when Jigen turned back to Karen, she was on the ground, blood coming from her wounds from where Hayden had shot her. Jigen hurried to her side and pulled her against him.

She had forgiven him, it was obvious. And she handed him the controls to the nuclear warheads within the Ivanoff. She told him she wanted the Ivanoff destroyed and then she passed on.

Jigen held it in his hands, trying to make the decision. Unbeknownst to him, Hayden was still alive and started to come up once more.

But Lupin was a step ahead of him this time, firing a single bullet into his brain, killing him instantly. "That'll teach you to shoot at a woman."

We had found out that Hayden had been working for John Klause and that's how he always knew where we were. None of us cried any tears for his destruction.

By a mutual agreement of the whole group, Jigen blew up the Ivanoff, destroying everything that John Klause thought he'd saved. It was a monumental moment and we all watched with silent satisfaction.

We buried Karen back in her native Russia. It was only fitting and seemed to be the best way to respect her.

I had had good news. I was put back onto the Lupin case. It seemed that the Chief had decided that I was a worthy officer for the case after all. I was elated.

Of course, they all managed to escape me at the graveside, but I knew it wouldn't be the last time I saw them. It never would be the last time. I would follow them to the ends of the world and back. Until sickness or death wiped us from the earth.

I met up with Goemon a few days later. I found him waiting for me in my office, sitting on my desk.

I closed the door as I walked in and crossed my arms over my chest as I turned to him. "Goemon Ishikawa XIII…you're under arrest." I clapped the cuffs on him.

He smirked and stood. "What will you do with me, Keibu-chan?"

I grinned. "This." I grabbed him and pulled him against me, kissing him senseless. I heard him groan and felt him move closer to me.

I kissed him hard and completely like that for several minutes before we had to break for air. He panted as he rested against my chest.

"You scared the shit out of me, Ishikawa…I thought you were dead for sure," I murmured, my hands resting at his back, keeping him against me.

"I thought I was too. I was not sure if my Almighty had protected me as well as I thought or not…But it did. I was not meant to die yet...Which I am very glad to know." He looked up at me and stroked my cheek. "I was not ready to leave you yet, my Kouichi…"

I held him tight and kissed his neck lightly. It would be all right in the end. I felt it would. Somehow, Goemon made me feel sure and safe. It was invigorating.

Suddenly, I found myself being pushed back onto my desk and a firm hand rested at my chest. Goemon showed me a feral smile as he leaned down. His eyes were dark and his voice held suggestion and promise as he spoke four words that completely undid me.

"I top this time…"


End file.
